Just months after officially entering Formula 1, the Audi project continues to take shape. After a long phase dedicated to building the technical and organizational structure, the team is experiencing its first season as an official entry, fully aware that competitiveness cannot be improvised. Mattia Binotto, head of the project, discusses the progress of the work, the priorities that have guided the development of this new entity, and the goals set for the coming years.
In this exclusive interview, Binotto addresses current technical issues—from the 2026 power unit regulations to discussions on ADUO and compression ratios—as well as the roles of Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. It is a conversation that offers a clear look at the philosophy Audi has used to plan its presence in Formula 1.
How is Audi’s expansion plan proceeding?
“It’s going well. We are in line with the plan we set for ourselves, and regarding the objectives established up to this point, everything is going as expected. All the most important projects have been launched. Naturally, having started them does not mean we have already completed them. If we think, for example, about the expansion of the facility or the installation of a new simulator, time inevitably passes between the order and the moment everything becomes operational. I can say that we are on schedule: everything has been set up as we planned, although there is still much to build.”
Many growing teams, such as Aston Martin or Williams, seem to pay a price in terms of immediate performance. Does this apply to you as well?
“I don’t like making comparisons with others because I know our project, but not the projects of other teams. I can say that Audi was born with a very clear ambition: to become a winning team, and that makes our path unique. More than saying that we are paying a price in the immediate future, I think it’s fair to say that you cannot expect miracles.”
“If you don’t yet have all the people, the tools, and the spaces necessary, you cannot demand extraordinary results overnight. Today, in fact, we are still last year’s Sauber, with the addition of everything we are building. It is not enough to change the ownership, the brand, or the livery of the car to suddenly find yourself with three hundred more people, new facilities, and better tools. This is the real challenge.”
“On one hand, there are very high ambitions; on the other, one must accept that growth takes time. I, for one, would like to obtain results as soon as possible and show what this team is capable of. But in the short term, you can only do what the resources you have today allow you to do. This is where you have to be patient and learn to manage a bit of frustration as well.”
You said your chassis is now in the top four of the championship. Were you expecting the biggest gap to be on the power unit, or were you surprised by the competitiveness of the car?
“On the power unit front, I am not surprised. I knew we would start with a certain delay because we are building completely new skills and knowledge. It is a long-term project, and I am convinced that Audi will have a top-tier power unit within a couple of seasons.”
“As for the chassis, however, I am very satisfied. We started building this project a couple of years ago, and today we are starting to see the first results. What this team has been capable of doing already represents a great success and gives me confidence. It means there are the right people to build a winning team. It is always difficult to establish if we are fourth or fifth in competitiveness today, but you just have to listen to the comments of the drivers from other teams. Everyone recognizes that our car is very strong in the corners. You can also see it in the data analysis: what we lose on the straights, we are largely able to recover in the corners.”
You have often spoken about the importance of a winning mentality. Is this one of the aspects you are trying to instill in the team?
“A ‘winning mentality’ is an expression that is used often, but in the end, it primarily means culture. It means the way people work together and interact with each other. Today, between chassis and power unit, we are collectively more than a thousand people, like all the big Formula 1 teams.”
“Ultimately, the quality of relationships, coordination, and the ability to move everyone in the same direction is what makes the difference. For me, this is the meaning of a winning mentality: succeeding in ensuring that everyone accepts ambitious challenges and works together toward a common goal. This is what, in the long run, builds a team capable of winning.”
You have had direct experience as the head of Ferrari engines. How do you judge ADUO today, after what has been seen in this first part of the season?
“Regarding the results, I do not question the work done by the FIA. They have all the tools and data necessary to carry out their evaluations, even with the limitations that any measurement system inevitably entails. However, I think it is important to remember what the original goal of ADUO was. In the beginning, when it was first discussed, the concept was that of a sort of safety net. If a manufacturer remained very far behind at the start of a regulatory cycle, with regulations practically frozen and very few possibilities for development, they would have risked dragging that disadvantage for five years.”
“From this, the concept of performance convergence was born: allowing those who are further behind to have greater chances of recovery. After all, it is the same principle that already exists for the chassis and aerodynamics. Those who are lower in the standings have more wind tunnel hours; in the same way, those who are further behind on the power unit front receive more development opportunities to get closer to the others and make the championship more balanced.”
Is there a limit to this system?
“In my opinion, the limit was measuring exclusively the performance expressed on the track. A car that has an overall advantage can afford not to fully exploit the potential of its power unit. It is possible, for example, that Mercedes had an engine with higher potential, but had no need to use it to the limit because they already had an advantage provided by the car. If so, they could have also obtained an additional development margin.”
“That is why I think the regulation must be rethought in this respect. The original intent of ADUO was not this: the goal was to help those who were truly left behind, not to create situations where the actual potential of a power unit might be difficult to evaluate.”
The dispute over the compression ratio seems to have deflated a bit…
“Yes, because in the end, we agreed on a regulatory change. There was an intervention already planned for this year, but the truly significant one concerns 2027. That is why the topic has somewhat deflated: as technicians, manufacturers, and teams, we know that there is a regulatory milestone that definitively clarifies this gray area. It is evident that the compression ratio can represent a technical advantage, but we also know that from 2027, the regulation will address this aspect more clearly. In the meantime, those who enjoy an advantage today will naturally try to exploit it in 2026 as well.”
There is talk of the next generation of engines. It is said that Audi is more oriented toward a turbo solution rather than an aspirated one…
“As you said, today there is not yet a formal discussion. First of all, Audi wants to sit at the table with the FIA and other manufacturers to understand what the possible options are and contribute to building the best format together. What the best solution will be is precisely the topic of the discussion.”
“Audi has always supported the importance of efficiency. The technology that allows for very efficient engines is the same technology that finds application in road cars. When we talk about efficiency, we talk about fuel consumption, emissions, and technology transfer between motorsport and mass production. The real challenge will be to understand how to design a Formula 1 engine that remains very efficient but, at the same time, is less complex, lighter, and has sustainable costs. That is what we will have to discuss.”
Will this year’s experience change the way you approach regulatory discussions?
“I think the FIA, as the regulatory body, is rightly called upon to lead this discussion. Formula 1 needs manufacturers, just as manufacturers need Formula 1. In the end, as has always happened, we will have to find a solution that is not simply a compromise, but the best possible solution for everyone.”
Let’s talk about drivers. You have a pair composed of a young talent and a very experienced one. Are you satisfied? Looking further ahead, do you imagine continuity?
“This pair is often described as a youngster and a veteran. I, however, prefer to define them as a pair of very fast drivers. Even before age, speed counts for me. Having a young driver and an experienced driver would have no value if they were not competitive. Instead, I believe I have two very fast drivers, and that makes me satisfied. Both are proving their worth and doing very well.”
What can you say about your junior driver Freddie Slater?
“I think he surprised everyone a bit. No one expected that he had already signed with Audi, and from this point of view, we managed to catch many off guard. This choice also demonstrates the ambition of our project and the desire to invest in the future.”
“We are very happy that Freddie chose Audi and, at the same time, that Audi chose Freddie. So far, he has done very well. He is going through a very positive moment in his Formula 3 season. I believe he represents another important piece of the Audi project and the desire to build something solid for the future.”
Will there also be a Formula 1 test at the end of the season?
“It is likely.”
You experienced the pressure of Maranello for many years. Today, you are leading a project backed by one of the largest automotive groups in the world. Does anything change, or is the pressure always the same?
“I think pressure is always linked to responsibilities. Responsibility toward the brand, toward the results, toward the people who work with you. From this point of view, it doesn’t change much between Ferrari and Audi. Then everyone manages pressure in their own way. I simply try to read the journalists less and concentrate above all on the work that needs to be done.”
Is the controversy surrounding ADUO and compression ratios amplified by the media, or is there real technical substance?
“By now, the competition is played on all fronts. You race on the track, but you also race on the technical and regulatory level. When completely new regulations are introduced, as happened this year both on the chassis and the power unit, it is inevitable that everyone tries to exploit every detail and every possible interpretation.”
“It is normal for controversies to arise, but this happens because there is a real technical and sporting battle. And, all things considered, I believe that is also a positive aspect. What surprised me the most is seeing how, despite regulations so different from the past, there are already so many teams able to fight for pole position and victory after very few races. It is a beautiful spectacle to watch.”
Your satellite structure in England has also made an impression. Was it created primarily to facilitate personnel recruitment?
“Our chassis base is in Switzerland, and this represents both an advantage and a disadvantage. On one hand, once you manage to attract a person to Switzerland, it is unlikely they will decide to leave. There is great stability and the quality of life is very high. On the other hand, however, the geographical position makes it more complicated to attract new talent. Having a sort of ‘technological antenna’ in England allows us to be much closer to the skills and knowledge present in the British Motor Valley and to intercept the best professionals with greater ease.”
What are Audi’s goals? What is the horizon you have truly set for yourselves?
“In reality, we have set ourselves a goal that goes well beyond 2026 and 2027. Our reference point is 2030: we want to build a team capable of fighting for the World Championship. We know that along this path, there will be important milestones.”
“The first for us will probably be 2028, when we expect to take another leap in quality. For this reason, I consider 2026 and 2027 primarily years of construction, rather than years to be judged exclusively based on sporting results. In this phase, I am primarily interested in seeing the company grow.”
“A little more than a hundred people work on the track, but there are about fourteen hundred behind them, engaged every day between chassis and power unit. Often, people only look at the team that goes to the track, but that is the visible part of the project. The track is the cherry on the cake. First, however, you have to build the cake. For me, the most important results of the next two years will be those linked to the growth of the organization.”
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